Road Design & Traffic Engineering for Southern Utah

Transportation engineering addresses how people and goods move — from the subdivision cul-de-sac to the state highway corridor. In Washington County, where population growth consistently outpaces the rest of the state, transportation infrastructure is under constant pressure. American Consulting & Engineering's licensed transportation engineers design roads, intersections, and access configurations that safely accommodate that growth while satisfying the standards of UDOT, Washington County, and the applicable city jurisdiction.

Local Road Design encompasses the residential subdivision streets, commercial access drives, and collector roadways that serve individual development projects. American Consulting & Engineering designs roads to applicable county or city standards — including horizontal alignments, vertical profiles, typical cross-sections, curb and gutter, sidewalk, and intersection configurations. Every local road design coordinates with our development engineering team to ensure that road profiles match grading design, utility crossings are accommodated, and drainage is properly addressed.

Traffic Impact Studies (TIS) are required by UDOT and most Washington County municipalities when a development is projected to generate significant traffic volumes. A TIS analyzes the existing and projected traffic conditions at study intersections, evaluates whether the existing road network can accommodate the added trips, and recommends improvements — turn lanes, signal timing changes, intersection reconfigurations — that mitigate the development's impact to acceptable levels of service. American Consulting & Engineering prepares TIS documents to UDOT and local agency standards, including trip generation using current ITE methodology, trip distribution based on regional travel patterns, and level of service analysis using current Highway Capacity Manual methods.

UDOT State Highway Access Permits (also known as State Highway Access Permits, or SHAPs) are required for any new or modified access to a Utah state highway. This is a critical — and often schedule-controlling — step for developments along Highway 18, Highway 9, I-15 frontage roads, and other state routes in Washington County. American Consulting & Engineering prepares SHAP applications and supporting engineering documentation, manages pre-application meetings with UDOT Region Four staff, and responds to UDOT review comments through to permit issuance.

Access Management Planning designs driveway and intersection configurations that satisfy UDOT and local agency spacing and design standards while meeting the operational needs of the development. Poor access management — too many driveways, too close together, without proper turn lanes — triggers required improvements and can delay or limit project access. American Consulting & Engineering evaluates access alternatives early, designs access configurations to current standards, and prepares the access management documentation agencies require.

Roundabout Analysis and Design is an increasingly requested service as Washington County communities recognize the safety and operational benefits of roundabouts over traditional signalized intersections. American Consulting & Engineering evaluates roundabout feasibility, performs design vehicle turning analysis, and prepares complete construction documents for single- and multi-lane roundabouts per FHWA and AASHTO guidelines.

ADA-Compliant Pedestrian Infrastructure — including sidewalks, curb ramps, and accessible pedestrian signals — is an integral component of every road design project. American Consulting & Engineering designs pedestrian facilities to current ADA standards and the PROWAG guidelines, ensuring that new development infrastructure is accessible and compliant with federal and state requirements.

Signing and Striping Plans establish the traffic control devices and pavement markings that regulate and guide traffic on new roadways. American Consulting & Engineering prepares signing and striping plans per MUTCD standards, coordinated with the road geometry design and the requirements of the jurisdiction accepting the facility.